AUTOBIOGRPAHY OF A FACE Touring
Touring: Duende theatre Company
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FACE: Manjinder Virk
Runs: 1hr 15 min.
Ranjit Khutan: Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton 25th October 2004
Serious, complex, and has you roaring with laughter.
Theatre that examines issues in the Asian community is growing in popularity partly due to the current interest in Bollywood. In the not so distant past such work was misunderstood or criticised for poor writing, predictable storylines and acting and at times this was wholly justified.
However, the subject matters such work seeks to highlight are becoming more complex and the quality more rigorous. 'Autobiography of a Face' written and performed by Manjinder Virk, proves that Asian theatre can be hysterically funny whilst at the same time highlighting relevant social issues and be extremely well written and confidently performed.
Virk plays Bobby Kaur a young woman who has recently runaway from her parent's home and the arranged marriage that has been planned for her. Initially the usual clichéd reasons come to mind she has been forced into it, she is seeing someone else, or she feels it's too soon but the woman's face that plagues her dreams and thoughts is the real reason for her departure from her familial home.
Virk's ability to slip out of one character and into another is remarkable. She moves from playing Makhan (aka 'Max' the estate agent) to a dance scene with Sanj (overlaid with video projection from a Bollywood film) that is timed to perfection.
But what left me and the crowds roaring with laughter was her impression of her best friend Sophie the blonde haired bimbo from Birmingham.
It's not just her ability to move form one character to the next with ease and fluidity but her strong and energetic physicality and her ability to move her emotional energy from one extreme state to another. In the programme that accompanies the piece Virk talks about how she has drawn on her own experiences as a young Asian woman and this self awareness comes through strongly in this well researched, well planned and beautifully performed piece.
Bobby: Manjinder Virk
Director: Pervaiz Khan
Set Designer: Mick Lester
Choreographer: Georgina Lamb
Video Design/Projection: Trevor Mathison
Lighting Designer: Ian Scott
Sound Designer: Michael Aduwali
Music: Simon Duggal
2004-10-31 20:14:15